Beluga Whale Overview

About the Species

• Known as the "canary of the sea" due to vocal sounds.
• White color, social creatures, form groups for hunting and migration.
• Found in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters including Alaska.
• Adaptations for cold: blubber layer, lack dorsal fin to swim under ice.
• Threats: pollution, habitat degradation, fisheries, oil exploration, disease, predation.

Conservation Status

• Protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
• Cook Inlet and Sakhalin Bay populations are depleted.
• Cook Inlet belugas listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Population Status

• Five stocks in Alaska: Beaufort Sea, Bristol Bay, Cook Inlet, Eastern Bering Sea, Eastern Chukchi Sea.
• Cook Inlet population declined by 80% (1979-2018), now about 331 whales.
• Sakhalin Bay population ~3,961 whales.

Appearance

• Born grey, turn white with age.
• Lack dorsal fin, have a "melon" for echolocation.
• Thick blubber for insulation; participates in molting.

Behavior & Diet

• Social, return to birth areas for feeding/calving.
• Vocal: whistles, moos, clicks.
• Echolocate and have sharp vision.
• Diet includes octopus, squid, crabs, fish like herring and salmon.

Habitat

• Arctic Ocean, northern seas, coastal Alaska, Russia, Canada, and Greenland.
• Adapted to shallow waters in summer, deeper dives in other seasons.

Lifespan & Reproduction

• Aged by growth layer in teeth, oldest recorded ~80 years.
• Mating in late winter/spring; females mature at 6-14 years.
• Pregnancy ~15 months, calves nurse >2 years.

Threats

Habitat Degradation

• Barriers and development limit access to key habitats.

Contaminants

• Pollution accumulates in whales due to food chain.

Prey Limitations

• Overfishing and climate impacts reduce food availability.

Strandings

• Causes include molting, avoiding predators/noise.

Ocean Noise

• Noise pollution impacts communication and echolocation.

Climate Change

• Alters sea ice, prey distribution, and environmental cues.

Conservation Efforts

Conservation & Management

• Focus on protecting Cook Inlet belugas.
• Actions: Protect habitats, minimize noise, manage harvests, education.

Recovery Planning & Implementation

• Recovery teams formed to monitor populations, understand biology, manage threats.
• Designated critical habitats, manage subsistence harvests.

Science & Research

• Satellite tagging, aerial surveys, acoustic monitoring, and pollutant studies.

Public Involvement

• Programs to engage and educate the public about conservation efforts.

Featured News

• Various awards and initiatives spotlighting conservation efforts and partnerships.